Water meters
Water Meters
Water meters are installed on properties in order to record water consumption. Around 19,500 Southern Water customers' accounts are currently calculated using a water meter.
Southern Water plans to eventually install water meters on all properties in our jurisdiction to ensure fairness and equity for all customers. This will mean that all customers will eventually pay a small fixed annual charge for infrastructure, plus a variable charge which reflects the amount of water used.
Water meters remain the property of Southern Water, along with any ongoing maintenance responsibility. The meter is usually located just within the boundary of the property, where the properties water supply connects to our mains. If the property owner/occupier cannot locate their water meter, an application for the location can be made to Southern Water on 13 MYWATER (136992). Southern Water will endeavour to locate the meter within 28 days and advise the owner/occupant of its location.
Access to Water meters
It is the property owner/occupier’s responsibility to ensure safe and easy access is available for Southern Water representatives to read or maintain any water meter/meters on a property. This ensures meters can be read efficiently by our staff.
Southern Water maintenance staff may also need to access the stop tap, usually located beside the water meter, for urgent repairs at any time, day or night. In these instances, a Southern Water representative will endeavour to contact the property owner/occupier to advise that there will be urgent works on their property.
Reading Meters
Water meter are read by authorised Southern Water representatives at scheduled intervals throughout the year. The readings are used to calculate the consumption/usage of water for the property. Southern Water representatives will read water meters between the hours of 7.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday’s.
Inaccessible meters
In the event that a water meter cannot be accessed to read, Southern Water will leave a note advising that they have visited the property. The property owner/occupier can contact Southern Water to arrange a suitable time within 48 hours for the representative to return and read the meter. This reading will need to be undertaken between the hours of 8.00am and 4.00pm weekdays.
In the event that the property owner/occupier fails to contact Southern Water to arrange for a reading of the property water meter, Southern Water reserves the right to issue a bill with an estimated usage. In the event that there is a dispute because of the estimated reading, a “Special Water Meter Reading” can be requested. This will incur additional charges to the property owner/occupier as set out in our fees and charges.
In the event that a water meter cannot be made accessible, either for security reasons, or any other reason, an application can be made to Southern Water for the relocation of the water meter or the installation of a remote reading device. Either of these options would be at the property owner/occupier’s expense. This would require lodgement of a formal application to Southern Water and payment of associated fees.
Special Water Meter Reading
A water meter reading that has been requested outside of the scheduled water meter reading schedule. These are usually requested in the event of property sales. Special readings may also be requested for changes in tenancy in rental properties.
Special readings will only be performed upon request. They are usually requested by legal firms, real estate agents or private landlords. Rates for these Special Water Meter Readings are set out in our fees and charges.